You are here

Home » Go North? Go South? Field May Be Split For Green Bay’s AWWS Nitro Boats Open Championship At Oconto

Go North? Go South? Field May Be Split For Green Bay’s AWWS Nitro Boats Open Championship At Oconto

Share this:

Presented by Yamaha Motor Corp USA and Warrior Boats LLC.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 10, 2017

Contact: Denny Fox, 920-505-0122

Anglers Insight Marketing LLC (AIM™)

Go North? Go South? Field May Be Split For Green Bay’s AWWS Nitro Boats Open Championship At Oconto

When last we visited the Bay of Green Bay off Oconto, Wisconsin, barely two weeks ago, predictions were that the final qualifier before this weekend’s AIM Weekend Walleye SeriesNitro Boats Wisconsin Division Championship would be won in the south.

It wasn’t. But this Friday and Saturday, Aug. 11-12, it still could be won in the south. Or the north, where that qualifier was taken on July 23. With the weather looking good, it just may be won by the team having the most fun, rather than pressuring themselves to win.

That’s the prediction from two captains reached at midweek who were already on the water, somewhere in the bay, and obviously having a great time, because they were finding ‘eyes.

As his partner cranked another fish aboard before making a move, John Schneider said that the fishing, and the catching, right now was great, and fun to boot. Watch him Friday and Saturday. All he wants to do is have fun, and that makes him dangerous.

“I think there’s going to be a lot of fish caught. They are really snapping out here,” Schneider said. “And, I think it’s going to be won north. There’ll be a lot of boats south because there’s still a lot of fish south, but I still feel that if you can find unpressured fish, that’s still the best formula for success.”

Jigging or trolling cranks, he said, take your pick. But, right now he’s liking trolling. “A lot are jigging, but boy that trolling, they’re snapping,” he added. “Our biggest fish are coming on cranks. But a person has to be versatile and be willing to change. We had tunnel vision on a couple of tournaments this year, and that’s why we did so horrible,” he said. But, not so much now, as he stopped to reel in a fish. “Plus, when you’re fishing with your buddies, that makes a huge difference.”

Weather has finally settled down to a late-summer pattern. In other words, light, variable and sunny.

“If it stays like this it’ll be great. We’re supposed to have northwest winds for the tournament, but not hard. We’ve been plagued by a lot of wind this year and that sucks. I just wanna have fun.”

Chad Wiskow of Neenah, WI agrees. He feels the field will split, south and north.

“I’ve been out pre-fishing and there’s fish both north and south. The fish going last time in the mud are still there. The biggest factor to determine is the weather. We’re seeing a constant change in the weather and wind. But, it’ll take some weight to win,” Wiskow predicts.

“It’ll be the same that happened last time. Someone will stumble upon the right spot and chase it. We’re starting to see some fish up north that are actually setting up again. If the storms break up (forecast for 20 percent chance of showers Friday and sunny Saturday, with light winds) you’ll be able to pick off some of these bigger fish.”

And, Michigan waters also look hot, he said.

“For guys willing to make that 30 or 40-mile run, a lot is starting to set up by the Cedar River (in Michigan waters) and Chambers (Chambers Island), so it’s definitely going to be a large playground for everyone. The biggest thing here is, there’s bait wherever you go. If we can get some wind to push those bait balls up to the reefs, that may be a determining factor for us, too,” Wiskow added.

Whether teams are looking for that jigging reaction bite on the rocks, or will be trolling, we’ll know come Saturday evening what worked—and where it worked best—at the awards ceremony starting at 6 p.m. at The Dockside in Oconto.

Come on out and enjoy the festivities. Yamaha Motor Corp USA has brought there fun trailer to this event with many things to see and do. Warrior Boats and Nitro Boats will be doing test rides starting at 2pm Saturday.

Teams will meet Thursday, Aug. 10, for registration and rules at The Dockside starting at 5 p.m. On both Friday and Saturday, launch takes place at Oconto’s Breakwater Park at 7 a.m., with recovery starting at 3 p.m. 1st Day results will be posted on the Aim Pro walleye Series facebook page as soon as they are compiled.

Anglers Insight Marketing LLC (AIM™) is a unique tournament organization created and owned by many of the most accomplished and recognizable professional walleye anglers, along with others who share the mission of advancing competitive walleye fishing and making it sustainable into the future. AIM is committed to marketing excellence on behalf of its tournament competitors, the tournament host communities, and the brands that partner with it. AIM is also committed to maintaining healthy fisheries across the nation by the development of the exclusive AIM Catch-Record-Release™ format, which is integral to its dynamic events and unparalleled consumer engagement. For more information about AIM™, AIM Pro Walleye Series™, AIM Weekend Walleye Series, AIM sponsors and AIM anglers, visit www.aimfishing.com.